The many faces of athlete burnout in elite and amateur sport identified through cluster analysis

Athlete burnout has traditionally been examined as a phenomenon mainly associated with high-performance sport; however, growing evidence suggests that it may also affect amateur athletes. This study aimed to analyze burnout in high-performance and amateur athletes, integrating gender differences and a person-centered approach through cluster analysis. A cross-sectional design was applied to 511 athletes (38.0% high-performance and 62.0% amateur) using the Revised Athlete Burnout Inventory (IBD-R). Descriptive and inferential analyses examined differences by competitive level and gender, while hierarchical and k-means cluster analyses identified burnout profiles. Results showed similar levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization across competitive levels, with specific differences in reduced personal accomplishment. Four burnout profiles were identified: Healthy, Reduced Accomplishment, Emotional Exhaustion, and Depersonalization-dominant burnout, differentially distributed by gender and competitive level. These findings indicate that burnout is a transversal phenomenon in sport and highlight the value of person-centered approaches for prevention and intervention across competitive contexts.